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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383333">Fly Me to the Moon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstronomerAlways/pseuds/AstronomerAlways'>AstronomerAlways</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Recess (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Big family, F/M, Long Lost Friends, Meet-Cute</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:53:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,072</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383333</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstronomerAlways/pseuds/AstronomerAlways</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been over a decade since Gretchen say any of her old friends from elementary. Imagine her surprise when she learns one of them will be her colleague. Then imagine her surprise when she realizes she's falling for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>T. J. Detweiler/Gretchen Grundler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fly Me to the Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Best read when listening to Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon".</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The university was like a second home to her. Gretchen would be hard pressed to say that she didn’t spend as much, if not more, time here either in her office or labs. That was the reason why this was the first time she’s stepped foot in these halls in six weeks. Being forced to go on vacation by her superiors had a way of doing that. She supposed she should be thankful; getting away to clear ones mind was proven to help productivity and help see new perspectives. But she couldn’t wait to get back into things, maybe get a head start on one of those papers she had in mind.</p>
<p>Expecting to see only a few other professors getting things ready for the upcoming semester, it was a surprise to see a small crowd formed at the end of the hall.  Gretchen opted for getting into her office first. She opened the window to get some fresh air flowing and to let the sun in. The room was still neat, with books lined up on the bookshelves in perfect order, along with a few science nicknacks.</p>
<p>As she put her bag down, a knock at her door brought Gretchen out of her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Nice to see you back.” It was Oliana, one of the first friends she made when she started teaching. “How was vacation?”</p>
<p>“Refreshing. Though I’d rather not be forced into it,” said Gretchen.</p>
<p>“You need it! You work harder than any of us,” said Oliana. “You were so close to a burn out, I could see it.”</p>
<p>“That’s true. But I’m ready to get back to work,” she said. “Do you know why everyone’s gathered at the end of the hall?”</p>
<p>“Oh, they’re just talking to the new professor. You probably didn’t check your emails while you were gone, but they brought on a new guy to teach the 101 classes,” Oliana said. “You should come get a look at him. He’s kinda cute~”</p>
<p>“Oli, need I remind you that you’re married?”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t mean I can’t look,” she laughed. “Take you’re time, but you should come meet him.”</p>
<p>“Alright. I just need a minute to turn my computer on. Unlike you all I still have yet to type up and send out the syllabi for the semester.”</p>
<p>Oliana nodded and let her be. She hadn’t checked her emails while she was gone. Just doing that would be enough to make her get back into her work. Gretchen knew they were looking for a new professor for some time now since Jonathan retired last year. His office was right across from hers, and it sat empty, waiting for someone new to make it theirs.</p>
<p>After her computer turned on, Gretchen decided to see who this new guy was that Oliana was gushing about. The others were still at the end of the hall, talking to the guy. As she approached, one of the other professors greeted and welcomed her back.</p>
<p>“Hello, Gretchen. You look refreshed,” Matthew said. He was here the longest as the department head. “Come meet our new lecturer.” The crowd split as he lead the way through. Standing in front of the others was a face she hadn’t seen in years, over a decade, even. “This is Theodore Detweiler.”</p>
<p>“TJ?”</p>
<p>“Gretchen?”</p>
<p>“. . .Do you two know each other?” Matthew asked.</p>
<p>For a moment, Gretchen thought she was seeing things. But that freckled almost baby-face, and those blue eyes were unmistakable. And like back then, he was still a full head shorter than her.</p>
<p>“We went to elementary together,” said Gretchen.</p>
<p>“Haha, yeah. It’s been so long, though,” said TJ. “Small world, huh?”</p>
<p>“Well then, I suppose we’ll leave you two to catch up.”</p>
<p>With that the crowd dispersed. Gretchen caught Oliana giving her a look of encouragement, thought for what she was at a loss for. Out of all things, she hadn’t expected to run across an old friend. And old was putting it lightly. After elementary school she went off and attended a STEM focused middle school and eventually lost touch with the others over the years. Nothing special, one loses touch with friends like that, especially when they’re young. But one of them stood right in front of her.</p>
<p>“So, uh, how’s it going, Gretch?” TJ asked. “Is it still okay to call you that? It’s been forever since I’ve seen you!”</p>
<p>“It has,” she said. “How about we talk in my office?”</p>
<p>Like the other professors, the two left the hallways in favor of Gretchen’s office. She sat behind her desk while he sat in one of the two chairs in front of it.</p>
<p>“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” said TJ. “You know,since we all lost touch in middle school. I sort of figured you’d be off inventing and discovering things.”</p>
<p>“I do that occasionally. But this profession offer security, and I quite like that,” she said. “But I never expected this of you. TJ Detweiler, a professor of physics out of all things?”</p>
<p>TJ laughed at that. “I know, it’s weird, isn’t it? I wanted nothing more than to get away from school back in the day, but here I am. It’s crazy, but what can I say? Turns out like really like it.”</p>
<p>“Are you still in contact with the others? What do they think of this revelation?” She asked.</p>
<p>TJ shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen or talked to them in years. My parents, though, they’re very proud of me. They won’t stop talking about it. Their troublemaking son turning out to be a college professor. But enough about me. What’s been going on with you, Gretch? How’s life been treating you?”</p>
<p>“I just got back from a forced vacation. Apparently the others thought I was long overdue for one.” Gretchen rolled her eyes. “So I stopped back home for a week before heading up to Alaska for the rest of it. I always wanted to see the northern lights, anyways.”</p>
<p>“That sounds amazing. I hope I get to see it one day,” TJ said. “Ever since I showed the kids pictures of it in a book they’ve been begging to go see it.”</p>
<p>“Kids?”</p>
<p>“Oh, right. I have two kids, twins, can you believe it?” He said. Gretchen watched as he pulled out his wallet. “A boy and a girl.” He pulled out a picture and held it out for her to see. The picture was of a boy and girl, just as he said, about three or four by the looks of it. The two of them had a considerable amount of mud on them, but they were still smiling from ear to ear. “Sophie and Sebastian. My twin little hurricanes, I love them so much.”</p>
<p>Of course TJ would have a family of his own. From what she could remember, he did the best with the younger kids at their schools, and even from this short conversation, she could tell he was still a kid at heart.</p>
<p>“They’re adorable, TJ.”</p>
<p>“Thanks. What about you? I bet you have a family with some lucky guy, huh?”</p>
<p>“No, not quite. I supposed you can say I’ve been preoccupied with my career and research,” said Gretchen. Things like dating and going out, she had given it a try but after so many boring first dates and forced conversations with guys she barely had anything in common with, she opted to stay away from that whole endeavor. Attempts at dating guys in her field also proved fruitless, though she couldn’t quite understand why. Maybe they were intimidated by her, or wanted to be with a woman not on the same level as they were, she didn’t know.</p>
<p>“Really? I’m surprised, you should have a line of guys waiting for you to give them the time of day,” he said.</p>
<p>“It’s alright, I’m satisfied focusing on my work,” she said.</p>
<p>“Okay, that makes sense, as long as you’re happy.”</p>
<p>Was she, though? She got a lot of satisfaction from her research, with all the awards and recognition it earned her, that much was true, and there wasn’t anything she would trade that for. By a small part of her wondered what it would be like to share that excitement with someone else.</p>
<p>“What do they have you lecturing?” Gretchen asked.</p>
<p>“A physics 100 course, two Physics 101 classes, and Astronomy 101,” he said. “Pretty basic stuff. But I’m happy to be teaching anything. It means I can settle down and not have to keep moving with the kids. It’s not good for them, you know? Kids need stability and all that.”</p>
<p>“I understand, it’s extremely important they have that,” said Gretchen. She leaned back in her chair. “Where are they now?”</p>
<p>“Daycare. There’s still plenty of time before I have to pick them up,” TJ said. “It’s amazing. Even after all these years talking to you still feels like talking to a friend. Is that just me?”</p>
<p>“No, no, I feel that way too. It its quite odd, but not unpleasant,” she said. “Have they cleared out an office for you? They were using the only available one for storage.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, they told me when I arrived that it’s ready for me to move in and make home. It almost feels surreal. It wasn’t that long ago I was running on zero taking care of two newborns while working on my masters, and now I have a good job? Bizarre,” he said. “But everyone here seems really nice, and you’re here! I already have a friend and everything.”</p>
<p>“After all this time you still consider us friends?’ She asked. TJ nodded.</p>
<p>“Of course. We still get along. Do you, uh, know where my office is supposed to be?”</p>
<p>“Right across from this one.” Gretchen pointed outside her open door to the closed one across from it. “As if things can’t get more coincidental today.”</p>
<p>“That’s amazing.” TJ stood and went to the office door. It opened to a small room with a desk, chairs, and computer already set up, though the surfaces did have a layer of dust on them from being unused. “Ugh, this is going to need some work to feel like my space. Hey, Gretch, I’m gonna head out for a coffee before I tackle this whole thing. Do you want to come with me?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>The coffee shop was just two blocks away from the science building. The weather was quite nice for a summer day, making for an enjoyable walk. On the way there and back, the two of them continued their conversation. Talks about what they did after high school. Gretchen was surprised that Spinelli wasn’t his kids mother, but a girl he meet while in college named Christy that he spoke fondly of. Everyone had expected the two of them to end up together, but things change apparently. Then again, seeing that the kids were blonde and knowing the likelihood that two people, one with black hair and the other with brown having two blonde kids, it shouldn’t have been that shocking.</p>
<p>“I miss her. She was one in a million,” he said as they approached the coffee shop. “The kids birth is both the best and worst day of my life.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for your loss, TJ. It’s clear you really loved her,” said Gretchen.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Gretchen. I tell the kids about her whenever they ask, I want them to know who she was,” said TJ.</p>
<p>After getting their coffee, an almond milk Frappuccino for Gretchen and a vanilla iced coffee for TJ, they headed back, still talking. And it was so easy to talk to him, Gretchen realized. As if they hadn’t lost contact over a decade ago. She held his drink while he carried a box from his car into the science building and to his office.</p>
<p>They kept talking as he put his own books on the shelves and added a few of his own touches to the room. Time slipped by with how easily the conversation flowed between them. Before they knew it, TJ had to leave to pick up the twins.</p>
<p>Gretchen decided to stay for another hour to actually get some work done. She had completely forgotten about it once she found out TJ was the new professor. That was a surprise. He still had that same charm as he did back then, easy to talk and open up to.</p>
<p>It was nice.</p>
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